When ASTM International first convened a technical workshop on additive manufacturing (AM) in 2016, the industry was still laying its foundation. The conversations centered on fatigue and fracture behaviors, and how to build confidence in AM parts. That event evolved into a series of annual symposia, and in 2020, the ASTM Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE) launched the first full International Conference on Additive Manufacturing (ICAM) in Washington, D.C., with 300 participants across seven symposia.
Fast forward to 2025, and ICAM has become the world’s largest technical conference on AM. Hosted this October 6-10 in Las Vegas, ICAM 2025 celebrates its 10th iteration, bringing together more than 1100 participants from more than 35 countries, 800 presentations, several keynotes, panels, and 26 symposia over five packed days.
This milestone marks how ASTM and the AM community have grown together, from tackling foundational challenges around repeatability to advancing frameworks for qualified production at scale.
A Decade of Growth
As AM has moved from experimental to indispensable, ICAM’s scope has expanded to include deep dives into in-situ monitoring, feedstock reuse, and large-scale directed energy deposition — all critical to qualifying parts for aerospace, defense, automotive, and medical applications.
“In ten years, ICAM has evolved into the definitive technical forum for additive and advanced manufacturing,” said ICAM co-chair Nima Shamsaei, Director of the National Center for Additive Manufacturing Excellence (NCAME) at Auburn University. “What began with discussions on fatigue and fracture has grown into a platform addressing qualification, certification, and industrial-scale applications. ICAM 2025 reflects just how far the field has come, and how collaboration across research, industry, and government continues to drive the science and engineering of AM forward.”
This year’s program reflects the diversity and maturity of AM applications. A few standout talks include:
- A keynote address from Thomas Pomorski, Director of Additive Manufacturing at Ursa Major, titled “Breaking Through the AM Scale Barrier to Propel U.S. Defense and Aerospace“
- “We Build Giants, Additive Manufacturing in Naval Applications,” with Cindy Waters from Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division
- “Powder Handling for Additive Manufacturing in Remote Environments,” by Tobias Rønneberg at Fieldmade
- Additively Constructed Hempcrete Structures for Sustainability and Resilience from Petros Sideris at Texas A&M University
Speakers and panelists at ASTM ICAM. Image courtesy of ASTM.
Four high-level panels will also explore adoption challenges and opportunities:
- “The House Always Certifies: Building Trust in Additive Manufacturing through Qualification & Certification” (Moderator: Martin White, ASTM International)
- “Repair, Replace, Reimagining: Advanced Manufacturing for Military Operations” (Moderator: Steve McKee, Wohlers Associates)
- “Tipping Points in Adoption: Aerospace End User Perspectives” (Moderator: Scott Sevcik, Wohlers Associates)
- “Going Beyond AM: How Can Convergent Advanced Manufacturing Technologies Support AM Growth?” (Moderator: Steve Fournier, General Atomics – Aeronautical Systems)
Together, these sessions underscore ICAM’s role as a bridge between research institutes, industry, and government with a focus on standardizing practices.
Beyond Additive: ASTM’s Expanding Horizons
The evolution of ICAM is closely tied to ASTM’s own global expansion in advanced manufacturing. Once known primarily as a standards enabler, ASTM now operates across engineering, certification, workforce development, market intelligence, and advisory services, helping to industrialize advanced critical and emerging technologies.
This success led the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to choose ASTM to lead the U.S. Standardization Center of Excellence for Critical and Emerging Technologies (ASCET). ASCET extends ASTM’s global advanced manufacturing reach beyond AM and Robotics into fields like AI, quantum, microelectronics/semiconductors, and biotech. These initial areas are in full alignment with the U.S. Strategic priorities for American technology leadership. ASCET’s focus spans pre-standardization engagement, workforce capacity building, data and information sharing, and pilot projects to accelerate U.S. leadership in critical technologies.
This development aligns directly with ICAM’s expanding scope. While AM remains at the heart of the program, ICAM 2025 also includes symposia on convergent technologies, data and digital workflows, AI, Cybersecurity, Robotics, and advanced process monitoring, reflecting a broader vision of advanced manufacturing ecosystems.
“ICAM stands out because it brings together not only the AM community, but also leaders in AI, robotics, cybersecurity, and other converging technologies,” said ICAM co-chair Mohsen Seifi, Vice President of Global Advanced Manufacturing at ASTM International, “This year’s program underscores a broader vision: building advanced manufacturing ecosystems that are innovative, trusted, and globally competitive. ICAM 2025 is where ideas become the standards and solutions that will shape the next decade of manufacturing and beyond.”
Some presentations include:
- “Building an Integrated Digital Thread using Knowledge Graphs and Generative AI to Accelerate Engineering and Design Outcomes,” by Vedanth Srinivasan from Amazon Web Services
- “CAMSPEC: The Digital Twin’s Manufacturing Memory,” by Harry Lucas from Phasio
- “Cybersecurity Compliance in the Age of Industry 4.0: Turning Risk into Resilience,” by Jeff Roberts from principia/RAID Digital Security
More Than Standards
ICAM’s success also reflects ASTM’s identity as more than just a standards body. The AM CoE’s Enablement Engine framework is meant to support the adoption of AM from pre-industrialization through to standardization and post-industrialization. Through the AM CoE, ASTM today:
- Runs global training and professional certificate programs
- Conducted over 50 R&D projects feeding into committees like F42 and F45
- Offers market intelligence and advisory services through Wohlers Associates
- Provides certification programs to help AM producers demonstrate readiness for production
This integrated approach — spanning research to standards, certification, training, and advisory services — is what makes ICAM a unique platform for shaping the future of advanced manufacturing.
Looking Ahead
As ICAM 2025 marks its 10th edition, the event has transformed from a niche workshop into a global gathering of engineers, scientists, regulators, executives, and other technical decision makers. What began as a technical exchange is now a crucible for qualified production and cross-industry collaboration.
With the launch of ASCET and the continued expansion of ICAM, ASTM is positioned not only to guide the future of AM but also to shape the wider landscape of critical and emerging technologies.
ICAM 2025 will take place October 6–10 at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino.